Mega Man X: Command Mission

The biggest surprise from Mega Man X: Command Mission was on the visual front. While the liberal use of mechanical people was a given, seeing that they were cel-shaded certainly wasn’t on the list of expectations. More surprising is how well this works for the game. The more vibrant color cel-shading gives the game a life that would otherwise have been lacking, especially given the drab dungeon design.

Not that you necessarily want to. The situation is quite simple: X and Zero, the greatest of Maverick Hunters (A Maverick is an android which has rejected human authority, typically setting out to cause chaos), are sent to investigate an abandoned research facility. There they discover Epsilon, their long-time nemesis, is active again. However, they become separated, and X must recruit allies to both find Zero and defeat Epsilon.

It doesn’t matter though, because Mega Man X: Command Mission is a blast to play. Building off a battle system similar to Xenosaga: Episode 1‘s, characters have three basic attacks: one for their main armament, and two sub-weapons, which have effects ranging from additional damage to stealing items. While these weapons are quite useful, they also consume Weapon Energy, a resource you generate each round. However, using it all can be detrimental, because it also fuels another command, Attack Trigger. Attack Triggers are special attacks which are almost entirely based on how much Weapon Energy you feed them, generally doing far more damage than anything else at full power, and are excellent tools for tough fights. Finally, each character has their Hyper Mode, which causes them to equip special armor which dramatically improves their stats, and in many cases gives them better attacks. Of course, Hyper Mode is only usable for a limited time between breaks, so it must be used wisely. All this combines to make an absolute buffet of attack options, though how often you need them is questionable, given the general easiness of the game.

Still, don’t let all the faults get in the way of picking this game up. It cannot be emphasized enough how much fun can be had with this game, even if, at the end of the day, it is a bit of fluff.